


What Brings Us Together

by Katyakora



Series: Coldwestallen Week [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Coldwestallenweek, Multi, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 04:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8564065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katyakora/pseuds/Katyakora
Summary: After a brief encounter with a mysterious stranger while on vacation, Iris found herself with an unexpected souvenir. Luckily, she has Barry there to support her. She never expected to run into that stranger again. To be fair, Len never expected to find out he was a father while on a morning coffee run.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Coldwestallen Week Day 2: Kid Fic
> 
> I always loved how the coldflash fandom just all agreed that Len had a beautiful biracial son named Michael. So I decided to write a fic where Iris was Michael's mum.

“Iris?”

 

Iris’s head jerked up in surprise at the startled exclamation, stuttering to a halt when recognition washed over her. In her arms, Michael cooed curiously.

 

“Len?” Iris gasped, although there was no mistaking that chiselled face and brilliant eyes. Unconsciously, her hold on her son tightened. “It’s, uh, it’s been a while.” Internally, she cringed at her awkwardness. The last time she’d seen Len, she’d been sashaying out of his hotel room, enjoying the bittersweet feel of his eyes on her back as their liaison came to an end.

 

“A little over a year, unless I miss my guess,” Len supplied slowly, his intense gaze falling on the infant in her arms. Michael gurgled happily as he observed him back, shoving a chubby fist into his mouth. Len’s eyes flicked back up to Iris’s face, which was doing a terrible job of hiding her nerves.

 

“Cute kid,” he drawled. “He yours?”

 

“Yeah…” Iris trailed off, struggling to find words now that she faced with the very situation she’d given up on ever being in. The two weeks they’d spent together in Coast City felt like a lifetime ago. The girl who’d happily fallen into a fling with a handsome stranger had been so carefree and daring, but now Iris found herself afraid. Afraid for her baby, and what this chance meeting might mean for him.

 

“Congratulations,” Len intoned slowly, frowning down at her little boy. “He’s, what? Six months?” he hedged, suspicion creeping into his tone.

 

“Just turned four months, actually,” she admitted softly, looking him nervously in the eye to gauge his reaction. She could see the instant the numbers added up in his head; his jaw went slack and his eyes widened, flicking rapidly between Iris and Michael. Beneath the shock she saw fear and she felt her heart clench with her own dread.

 

“That’s…” he trailed off, but the question in his eyes was clear. She winced.

 

“To be fair, I did try to track you down.”

 

At her words, he seemed to stop breathing. Iris bit her lip, not quite sure what she could possibly say to help the situation. In her arms, Michael gurgled again, reaching his little fingers out to the stranger that had his mother’s attention, making insistent little huffs. As though in a trance, Len raised a shaking hand for the infant to latch onto. His panic slowly gave way to wonder and Iris felt a wash of relief as she watched a father fall in love with his son.

 

“You’re sure?” he asked suddenly. The love and wonder in his eyes slid back to once again be overshadowed by fear.

 

“There was no one else,” she admitted. “But I understand if you want a paternity test.”

 

“Yes, I…” He seemed to be struggling to find the right words. “...it would be best. To be absolutely sure.”

 

“I totally understand,” she reassured him. “Honestly, the fact that you haven’t run away screaming yet means you have already surpassed all my expectations for this conversation.” She chuckled, a little awkwardly, but he seemed to appreciate her attempt at humour because he did crack a small smile.

 

“Well, I’m probably still in shock, so don’t be so sure,” he joked, but he was looking at Michael with that awestruck expression again; Iris was certain he wasn’t going anywhere. “Hey there, little guy,” he said softly, gently shaking the hand that was clutched tight around his pinkie.

 

“His name is Michael,” Iris supplied. He seemed surprised for some reason. “Michael Joseph West.”

 

Len huffed in amusement. “That’s one hell of a coincidence. My middle name is Michael,” he explained in response to her quizzical look. “My partner’s name too. Although he’d punch you before he answered to it.” He paused, a look of uncertainty flashing across his face. “Can I...may I hold him?”

 

“Yes, of course!” Carefully, Iris passed Michael over, prepared to guide Len so he would support him properly only for Len to automatically cradle him perfectly.

 

“Hi there,” Len murmured again, smiling down at his son. Iris could only watch with a grin, giddy at the thought Michael would grow up with a father after all. It had broken her heart a little when all of her and Barry’s hard work trying to track Len down had failed. She’d always known it would be a long shot considering all they had to go on was a first name and a vague job description. Iris had hated the knowledge that her baby would grow up never knowing his father, even though he would likely be surrounded by strong father-figures. It seemed like fate that she would run into him now, in the middle of the street a block away from Jitters.

 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking her reverie. Len looked up as she pulled it out to check the message. “Crap, I’m late.” She winced. “I’m sorry, but we’ve gotta go.”

 

“I understand,” he said with a nod, regretfully passing his son back. “Let me give you my details so we can talk later.” Obediently, she swapped her phone for her baby, getting Michael settled on her hip as Len added himself into her contacts. He passed it back and there was a loaded moment where they just looked at each other.

 

“I’ll call you,” she affirmed awkwardly, taking a step on her way.

 

“Iris.” He stopped her with the soft word and she turned back to him. “If the test is positive...I’d like to be a part of his life. As much as you’ll allow.”

 

“You will be.” She smiled, genuinely relieved to hear those words, although a little confused by the wording. He seemed oddly resigned despite her reassurance.

 

“Goodbye Michael,” he farewelled the infant with a little wave that his son attempted to mimic. With a nod to Iris, he went on his way. She watched him go, knowing she was grinning like a fool but unable to contain her elation. She continued down the street with a spring in her step, feeling like life was looking up for the first time since Barry was struck by lightning.

 

No one could have predicted that it would be getting pregnant, of all things, that would be the catalyst for Iris to realise how deep her feelings for Barry were. He was the first person she told when she found out, nervously spilling the beans the very afternoon her doctor confirmed her fears. After the initial shock, Barry had been absolutely supportive, offering to help her in any way she needed. He was there at her side, holding her hand when she finally found the courage to tell her father and had been rather successful in discouraging Joe from tracking the mysterious Len down just so he could shoot him. It was Barry’s support that had made her really feel okay with the situation, like she might actually be able to handle this incredible responsibility. As long as she had him. He became a major component in every one of her prospective plans for the future, until one day she realised that her unconscious mind had already slipped Barry into the father role of their future family. Even Joe behaved as though Barry was the father, talking about the two of them getting a place together to raise the little one.

 

Iris finally came to terms with the fact that this was what she wanted, her and Barry together, building a life and raising a family. Her timing was terrible, considering she was pregnant with another man’s child and she had no idea if Barry felt that way about her at all. But she figured she had time, since Barry didn’t seem particularly interested in dating anyone else right now, although he had swooned with her when she’d originally described the gorgeous businessman she’d spent her vacation with. Once the baby came along and was settled, then she would think about broaching the subject.

 

Unfortunately, three months shy of her due date, lightning struck. Instead of spending her third trimester agonising over what colour to decorate the nursery and complaining about swollen ankles, Iris was at Barry’s bedside, worrying. Her imminent new arrival became the only thing she had to look forward to. After her baby was born, it was as if the whole world tilted on its axis, and suddenly the tiny, squirming bundle in her arms was her sun. Even though Barry was still lying in a bed at STARlabs living in limbo, Iris had a new priority. She couldn't keep living her life on hold, not when her son needed her.

 

Finding Len felt like fate, even now as Iris sat across the table from him in his apartment listening as he explained why exactly he assumed she'd be reluctant to let him help raise Michael.

 

“So you're a professional thief?” she summed up, a little thrown. Len tilted his head in acquiescence, clearly resigned to her hatred. “That robbery, the one that happened a couple of days after I went home. That was you, wasn't it?”

 

He shrugged. “I was in town for a reason,” he hedged, careful not to truly admit to anything, likely out of habit. Iris bit her lip, thinking hard.

 

“Why tell me at all? You're not in prison, so clearly you're good enough not to get caught. You could have kept this from me, given me no reason to keep Michael away from you.”

 

“Because,” he began with a sigh, “I know that your father happens to be a police detective. All you'd have to do is say my name and he'd be putting me behind bars.”

 

“So you want me to keep this from him?”

 

“I was hoping you'd be open to the idea, yeah. Can't blame a guy for trying.” He looked down at the infant in his arms sadly, likely believing this would be the last time he’d get to hold him. “Besides, you're Michael's mother, you deserve my honesty when it comes to him.”

 

Iris blinked in surprise, worrying her lip between her teeth as she deliberated. He was giving her an out, she knew, one that he didn’t really have to. There was nothing stopping her from taking her son and leaving. But even knowing what she did now, she found that she didn't want to. She wanted Michael to know his father, to be able to make his own decision regarding Len's profession when he was old enough.

 

“You never told me.” Her cryptic words made Len’s brow crease, scrutinizing her as he waited for her to elaborate. “Officially, as far as I know, you're a legitimate businessman who travels a lot for work. Please tell me you have a clean alias?”

 

“Of course…”

 

“Then that's the one you gave me.” She pinned him with her gaze, her voice pure steel. “But you have to swear to me that what you do will not affect Michael in any way. If anything happens to him because of you I will throw you under the bus if I have to to protect him. You will not raise my son to be a criminal and he will not know what you do until he's old enough to understand. Is that understood?”

 

Len held her gaze for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

 

“I swear, I will do everything in my power to keep Michael safe. Even if that means I have to stay away.” 

 

“As long as you keep him away from your work life, it won’t come to that. I want you to be a part of his life.”

 

He nodded, the hint of a relieved smile on his face. “I accept your terms.”

 

Of course, having Len in their lives made things inevitably more complicated. In some ways, it was easier; Len was happy to take Michael while Iris was working, so she was able to get back to work sooner than expected. He insisted on helping her out with her backed up bills in addition to the child support they’d agreed on, swearing he would only use the money from his legitimate investments to appease her uneasiness at the thought of receiving stolen money. Between Len’s help and being able to work again, she was able to get a decent apartment in a good neighbourhood. Which was convenient, because Joe had been bugging her about Len, wanting to meet the guy now that Iris had found him. No longer living at home made avoiding that much easier. But that also meant she ended up spending a lot more time around Len, being reminded of all the reasons she’d been attracted to him in the first place and seeing him being a loving and devoted father to her son. She got to see the gentler, more domestic side of him that she hadn’t during their liaison in Coast City. Then, he’d been suave and mysterious, charming and smooth in a corny kind of way that she’d happily let herself get swept up in. Now, she got to meet the man who apparently had such a backlog of dad jokes that he was happily using them on an infant too young to understand them and a closet scifi nerd who was legitimately aghast to learn that she’d never seen Firefly.

 

Iris wasn’t blind to the way Len looked at her either. He hid it well, most of the time, but she caught more than one glance where he was clearly remembering their time together, or the soft look he got when watching her play with Michael. She felt almost guilty for enjoying spending time with him while Barry lay alone, trapped in his coma. She would catch a glimpse of the warm want in Len’s eyes and feel her own desire answer deep in her chest. It felt almost like being unfaithful, despite the fact that she’d never gotten a chance to tell Barry how she felt. She ended up spending most of her visits to Barry venting about it, only ever succeeding in making herself miss her best friend all the more. Subsequently, she ended up telling Len all about Barry, because without either of them realising he’d managed to go from being a former fling and the father of her child to being her friend as well.

 

Things got both better and worse when Barry woke up.

 

Seeing him standing there in the doorway to Jitters, smiling at her like she was the only person in the room was enough to make her heart skip and she practically threw herself into his arms. Iris was the first person he had gone to see as soon as he was conscious, and of course he was absolutely ecstatic to learn her baby was happy and healthy and they’d found his father to boot. He insisted on meeting Michael as soon as possible and luckily Iris’s boss was kind enough to let her leave early. She texted Len, asking him to bring Michael home early and they headed over to her apartment to wait. Barry was surprised to find all his stuff stored in the spare room at her place, and she explained that since the lease on his old place ran out while he wasn’t conscious to renew it and they’d been planning on rooming together anyway, she and Joe had assumed he wouldn’t mind.

 

When Len arrived with Michael on his hip, Iris got the strangest sense of deja vu. She gave Barry and Len a quick introduction, feeling a strange warmth from the way they sized each other up. Gently taking Michael and putting him in Barry’s arms, she watched as he got that exact same look in his eyes that Len had had the first time he met Michael. Michael might not share Barry’s blood, but it was plain to see that Barry was absolutely prepared to love her little boy like he was his own.

 

Iris had no idea how at ease Leonard was around her until she saw the way he was around Barry. He was suddenly guarded, almost cold, and Iris realised that this was yet another face of his, and likely the one that most people saw. Barry's exuberant enthusiasm at getting to meet both Michael and his father fell in the face of Len’s cutting snark. Barry, while typically sweet and kind, once sufficiently riled, was definitely not above sniping back. At first, Iris was dismayed by the friction, having hoped the two men would get along, but then she noticed Len's smirk and realised he was immensely enjoying the sharp banter. For his part, Barry seemed oddly miffed by Len's apparently instant dislike and was enjoying tossing petty barbs at him for it. There was a familiar tension, one Iris wasn't quite sure how to feel about.

 

Michael turned out to be a pro at disarming the situation. Apparently intent on gumming as much of Barry's shirt as possible, Michael managed to grip a little fist around Barry's collar and yanked down hard enough to pop the top button open. Barry looked down in indignant surprise at the baby, who was happily shoving Barry's collar and half his own fist into his mouth. Iris couldn't help but snort at Barry's expression and she could see that Len was valiantly attempting to contain his own mirth. The strange tension eased, allowing Iris a moment’s relief. 

 

It wasn’t long before Barry had to leave, wanting to head to the precinct and see Joe. He gave Michael a kiss on the forehead before he left, and Iris watched as a strange expression flashed across Len’s face, as though he couldn’t decide how he felt about the gesture. Seeing that actually made his earlier behaviour make a bit more sense. Once Barry had left, Len’s whole demeanor changed, leaving him once more the awkward dork she’d come to know.

 

“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” she told him bluntly as she set Michael down in his playpen. He was already starting to figure out how to crawl.

 

“Do what?” Len asked airily, feigning innocence. Iris was not fooled and her expression said as much.

 

“Mark your territory. Barry’s not going to replace you.”

 

“I wasn’t marking my territory,” Len argued with an eyeroll. Iris hoped Michael didn’t inherit his love of dramatics. “I was taking his measure. You can learn a lot about a man by how he handles being challenged. Gotta know what kind of people my son is being raised around.”

 

“Oh really,” Iris drawled, sounding so much like him he actually smirked proudly at her. “And what, exactly, did your little pissing match tell you?”

 

Len wrinkled his nose at her crude language. “That he’s got brass, though it takes him a minute or two to find it. Smart, but a tad naive.”

 

“He’s not naive,” Iris argued. “Trust me, he’s seen some ugly things in his life. He just can’t help but see the best in people.” That earned her another eyeroll. “Maybe you should try it some time.”

 

“Hmmm, seeing the best in people versus not getting shot in the back...I think I’ll pass.”

 

The next few weeks were interesting, with Len and Barry continuing to gauge each other until the only way they seemed to communicate was through snide banter. Living with Barry caused Iris to realise just how much time she had been spending with Len, since Barry couldn’t help but comment on how often Len was over at their place, ostensibly to see Michael. Still, with some probing from Iris, he also mentioned he was starting to warm up to the other man, beginning to think of him as a friend despite their oddly antagonistic conversations. He also admitted that Iris’s description hadn’t done the man justice and Iris had teased him about having a crush, although whether her heartstrings twinged in jealousy or hope, she couldn’t tell. She still hadn’t found the courage to tell Barry how she felt, too confused now that Len was there to complicate matters.

 

Iris thought she had enough secrets in her life. Keeping her father away from the truth about Len, hiding her feelings for Barry and her growing affection for Len, she really didn’t have room in her life for more. And then one day she walked into the room to find Barry changing Michael’s diaper...at superspeed. After much arguing, Iris reluctantly agreed not to tell Joe or anyone else in the know that she knew, Barry wanting to keep her and Michael as far away from the dangers of that part of his life as possible. Knowing Barry was Central City’s mysterious new hero threw a whole other spanner into the works. Suddenly, it wasn’t her father she had to worry so much about learning Len’s profession.

 

Of course, just a couple of weeks after Iris learned about Barry’s powers, just as Len was starting to really relax around Barry, Iris’s fears came to pass. A part of her had known, deep down, that there was no way Len, with his ridiculous love of drama, would be able to ignore the lure of the superhero game, the challenge and the theatrics too tempting to pass up. She had every intention of smacking him upside the head and berating him over this the next time she saw him, but for now she had to deal with Barry talking circles around the subject in his attempts to learn how much she knew without outing Len himself.

 

It was almost funny watching Barry trying to figure out how the hell to act after Len came back after a few weeks on his 'business trip'. Of course, Iris had smacked Len and called him a dozen kinds of stupid for derailing a goddamn train, but Len had taken the punishment with good grace. Barry’s banter with him went from playful back to sharp, but Len didn't even seem to notice, too busy enjoying the verbal jousting. It seemed that as soon as time had started to mend the damage Len had done, he just had to go out and remind Barry that they were enemies.

 

Iris’s annoyance at Len for going after the Flash was nothing compared to her fury now, however.

 

“I told you to meet me outside,” Len complained, his mouth pressed in a tight line of annoyance. 

 

“And I told you to keep my son the hell away from this crap!” Iris snapped, almost snatching her son out of the arms of the big man in suspenders who had been mesmerising Michael by flicking his lighter on and off. Mick gave her a scowl that bordered on a pout and stomped off, clearly uninterested in watching their argument. Michael whined at the loss of his entertainment.

 

“You asked me to watch him,” Len pointed out. “I did tell you it wasn't a good time. You're the one who said you didn’t want to hire a sitter.”

 

“Yeah, well I didn't think 'its a bad time' translated to 'I’m kidnapping your friend', now did I?” Iris snarled. “And I can’t believe you actually threatened Michael to get him to do what you wanted!”

 

“Okay, first of all, technically Cisco came of his own volition, and second, I did no such thing. Lisa was supposed to be watching him, but she apparently can’t handle a teething baby and just barged in demanding I make him stop crying. Your little friend Cisco saw Michael and assumed he was next on the menu.”

 

“And I’ll bet you did so much to disabuse him of that,” she jeered. Michael began to make unhappy little noises, seeming to pick up on the hostility. She bounced him gently, hoping to keep him calm. Leonard didn’t even try to deny it.

 

“He gave me a weakness, I exploited it. I got what I wanted, and nobody got hurt. If anything, I’d have thought you’d be happy about that.”

 

“Somehow, I doubt Cisco and Barry feel that way.”

His eyes narrowed and he stepped closer, attempting to loom over her. The fact that she had once seen him snort over his own pun and accidentally choke on his own spit made his effort entirely pointless. “So,” he drawled. “You know?”

 

“I live with him,” she scoffed. “I’ve known for months.”

 

“And yet, you never said a word. I’m hurt.”

 

“Oh, don’t you dare start with me!” she snapped, livid at his flippancy over something that had been keeping her awake at night. “You’re not the one being driven insane juggling secrets just so your family doesn’t fall apart! You’re not the one hearing about your best friend and the father of your child battling in the street on the news and wondering if today is the day that one of them doesn’t come home!”

 

She didn’t realise she was shaking, nor that she was jabbing a pointed finger at his chest, not until he was wrapping a hand around, his expression uncharacteristically puzzled.

 

“I didn’t know you cared.” It was probably meant to be flippant, but the words came out soft and genuine. Iris felt herself deflate, suddenly so very tired. It seemed she had a penchant for falling for oblivious idiots.

 

“Because you weren’t looking.” She pulled her hand out of his grasp, adjusting Michael on her hip as she turned to go.

 

“Iris,” he called after her, but when she turned back, she didn’t give him a chance to speak further.

 

“I’ll see you on Tuesday,” she ordered. “Whatever is going on between you and Barry, you don’t bring that into my house, you understand me?” She didn’t wait for his answer, she just walked out the door, only pausing when she passed Mick exiting the kitchen eating a sandwich. “And you! If I find a single burn on my son I will castrate you with your own lighter!” On that note, she left. Distantly, she heard Mick speaking in her wake.

 

“Oh, I like her. How in the hell did you ever manage to land a woman like that?”

 

“Shut up, Mick.”

 

Despite herself, Iris smiled, shaking her head.

 

Oddly, it actually got easier, having everyone’s identity out in the open. After a very similar argument with Barry, both Barry and Len agreed to keep their rivalry out of their civilian lives. It was a great relief for Iris, her home becoming the one place where there were no secrets. It seemed to be the same for Barry and Len, Barry being more comfortable using his powers at home now that he didn’t have to worry about Len showing up, Len allowing himself to be much more at ease around Barry, their home having become a safe space for him. Having that weight off all their shoulders freed them to start building trust within their strange little family.

 

And they needed it, because Michael was a menace once he’d figured out how to crawl. Iris wasn’t even mad when she figured out that Len’s new idea of laying low after a job was spending days on end at her apartment just spending time with Michael. They would fall into a very domestic routine, which often ended with the three of them on the couch in the evenings, just watching movies, Len and Barry arguing over the scientific accuracy of scifi or trying to out trivia each other. Iris inevitably ended up sitting in the middle, wrapped in a warm contentment she would later feel guilty about. This was her family and she loved them but this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She kept stalling, playing merry-go-round in her head trying to figure out her confusing feelings. 

 

One day, she came home to the strangest sight; Len on the floor with Michael propped up between his knees and Barry by the door with his phone out, both grinning like fools.

 

“Iris, perfect, don’t move!” Len ordered excitedly as she shut the door behind her.

 

“Um, okay,” she agreed hesitantly, looking to Barry for an explanation, but he just smiled brightly at her.

 

“Okay, Michael, time to show Mommy what you can do,” Len told Michael encouragingly, lifting the boy up so he was on his feet, barely supported by his father’s hands. “Go on, go to Mommy.” Slowly, Len let Michael support his own weight, and with a look of fierce concentration, Michael took a wobbly step. Iris gasped and dropped to her knees, holding her hands out towards her son with tears in her eyes. 

 

“Come on, Baby, you can do it!” she called, making Michael smile and giggle at her as he took another shaky step. 

 

He managed two more before she had to reach forward to catch him before he fell. She swept him up in a spin, whooping happily at his achievement, her proud grin now  amatch for Len and Barry’s. Barry, who had been recording the momentous event, played it back to make sure Len’s face was kept out of the shot before sending the video to Joe and their friends at STARlabs. Later, when Len was putting Michael down for a nap, Barry turned to Iris with a sigh.

 

“You know, sometimes I wish we never had to leave the apartment.”

 

“Why?” Iris asked, genuinely confused. “It’s nice, but it ain’t that nice.”

 

“I know, I just meant...in here, it’s simpler. Len and I aren’t enemies, we’re friends. Hell, in here, we might as well be family. Like this afternoon, we were just a couple of dads getting stupidly excited over our kid’s first steps.” He blanched as he realised what he’d just said, hastily backtracking. “Not that I think of myself as Michael’s dad! I know he’s not mine, I-”

 

“Barry!” she cut him off, smiling in amusement. “It’s okay. My kid has two dads, and I am totally okay with that.”

 

“Good, I’ve never been much of a traditionalist,” Len commented from the doorway, surprising them both.

 

“You’re, uh, not mad?” Barry asked hesitantly. Len cocked an eyebrow at him.

 

“Should I be? Well, I suppose I’m a little miffed about the whole ‘two dads’ thing not being in a different context, but honestly that’s more mildly disappointed than mad.” 

 

They both gaped at him, Iris finding her voice first. “And here I was thinking I was justing reading too much into things,” she commented, feeling light and giddy, buoyed by something that felt dangerously like hope.

 

“Well, it is your fault I even realised,” he admitted with a shrug, stepping further into the room. “You’re the one who told me to look.”

 

“Wait, I,” Barry stuttered, looking a little helpless. “What are you saying?”

 

“I’m saying that I think it’s time we all stopped pretending we’re not a family. A weird, complicated family with a lot of issues, but still.” He swallowed, looking distinctly uncomfortable, letting his eyes roam rather than settling on either of them for long. “I’m not good at caring. About people. But I do. Care about you two. And ever since you made me realise it,” he paused to give Iris a mock glare, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. About the future. Michael’s future. And ours.” At his words, Iris felt something inside her fall into place. For so long she knew she had yearned for something, and now she finally understood what it was she’d been reaching for. Not just one of them, but both of them. Her family wouldn’t be complete without either.

 

“There is only one future I want,” she stated deliberately, taking one of their hands in each of hers. “To raise my son with the two men that I love.” She heard both their breath hitch, felt both their grips tighten around hers. Leonard looked a little dazed, like she’d given him so much more than he ever expected or deserved. 

 

“Me too,” he affirmed softly. He raised his free hand offering it to Barry. “What do you say, Barry?” 

 

Barry gave an incredulous little huff, reaching out to hold Len’s hand tight, like he was afraid the other man would rescind the offer any second. “Oh, thank god!” he exclaimed, “I thought it was just me!”

 

Both Iris and Len chuckled at that. “Definitely not,” Iris vouched. “You two have done nothing but drown my house in sexual tension since you met.”

 

“We’re not that bad,” Len argued playfully as Barry blushed deeply. None of them had let go of each other’s hands, all three of them wearing soft smiles.

 

“You really are,” she assured them.

 

Before either man could argue, a high pitched wail caught all their attention.

 

“Looks like someone’s not too keen on his nap,” Barry commented. 

 

“I put him down, now it’s your turn,” Len decided, pulling Iris down with him as he made himself comfortable on the couch.

 

“Aww what?” Barry whined. 

 

“You get him up, we’ll put on a disney movie and he can fall asleep while we cuddle.”

 

“Deal.” 

 

Iris just smiled at their antics, happily resting her head on Len’s shoulder. Like so many nights before, she ended up sandwiched between them on the couch, but this time she had Len’s arm around her shoulders with his hand resting on the nape of Barry’s neck, the pair of them both curled up and leaning towards Len. Barry had one arm around her middle, cradled protectively around the infant now sleeping in her lap. Len’s other hand was lightly petting Michael’s head, the soothing motion what had lulled him to sleep in the first place. Iris wasn’t stupid, she knew they had a lot of challenges ahead of them, but in that moment, surrounded by her boys, she had never felt safer, never felt more loved.

 

They were her family.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is how Mick ended up holding Michael:  
> "Mick, hold him a second."  
> "No."  
> "Mick."  
> "No."  
> "Hold the damn baby!"   
> "Fine!"  
> "No, not like that, he's a baby, not a football! There, you got it. I'll be right back."  
> Mick and Michael stare at each other for a minute.  
> "Heh, you're not so bad." Michael immediately starts crying. "No. Bad baby! No! Stop that! Here, look at this!" Both baby and pyro are immediately calmed by the flame.


End file.
